User Interface Support, And Chair In Combination Therewith

ABSTRACT

A user interface support effective to be easily attached to an office chair. The user interface support includes a horizontal support, a vertical support, and a pad surface. The pad surface is attached to the horizontal and vertical supports. The user interface support may be combined with a chair having an arm rest including a base and a cushion. A user may unscrew screws from the base to remove the cushion therefrom. Nuts may be installed into the base so that screws may attach the horizontal support to the base and to the cushion through the use of the nuts. The vertical support and pad surface may then be attached to the horizontal support.

This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/767,451 filed Mar. 28, 2006, entitled “Ornamental Design for a Chair Mounted Mouse Pad or Digitizer Pad Support Assembly”, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a support for a user interface effective to be attached to a chair.

Computer mouse pads are known and are used to support a mouse and to define a usable surface for movement of the mouse. In a typical arrangement, a simple flexible pad is placed on a desk and the mouse is used on top of the pad. Other arrangements include a support attached to a desk or a keyboard so that the mouse may be moved near the desk or keyboard and the user need not locate an additional flat surface. These arrangements provide some desired flexibility but the user is still required to sit near his desk or keyboard to use the mouse. Moreover, the user's arms must be extended to reach the mouse—a position which may not be ergonomically desired and may cause back pain in the user.

There are some known structures for attaching a mouse support to a chair. However, these prior art supports require specially designed chairs or complex arrangements with many parts. Moreover, these supports cannot be simply attached to some modern chairs and do not take advantage of the chair's existing design.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a user interface support at can be simply attached to a chair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention is a combination of a chair and a user interface support. The combination comprises a chair, the chair comprising a base, a scat attached to the base, and at least one arm rest attached to the base. The combination further comprises a user interface support, the user interface support comprising a horizontal support screwed to the at least one arm rest, a vertical support attached to the horizontal support, and a pad surface attached to the vertical support.

Another aspect of the invention is a method for attaching a support to a chair, the chair comprising a base, a seat attached to the base and at least one arm rest attached to the base, the arm rest including a base screwed to a cushion. The method comprises unscrewing screws connecting the base of the arm rest to the cushion; screwing a horizontal support of a user interface support to the base of the arm rest; attaching a vertical support of the user interface support to the horizontal support; and attaching a pad surface of the user interface support to the vertical support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a chair in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective exploded view of a user interface support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a user interface support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a user interface support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top cut-away view of a portion of an arm rest in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a user interface support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a portion of a user interface support and a chair in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a combination of a user interface support and a chair in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view of a combination of a user interface support and a chair in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art chair 50 which can be attached to a user interface support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Chair 50 could be, for example, an AERON chair. Chair 50 includes a back 52 attached to a base 60. Base 60 is attached to a movable support 62 including legs and wheels. A seat 58 is attached to base 60. In use, a user may sit on seat 58 and lean on back 52. Arms 54 are attached to and extend from base 60 and include arm rests 56. As discussed above, prior art mouse support structures cannot be easily combined with prior art chair 50.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, there is shown a user interface support 70 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. User interface support 70 includes a horizontal support 72, a vertical support 84 and a pad surface 90. Pad surface 90 could be used to support, for example, a mouse or tablet digitizer or other user interface. Horizontal support 72 includes an arm portion 76 terminating in a disc 80. Arm portion 76 includes two screw holes 74 discussed below. Disc 80 includes a hollow cylindrical recess 82 effective to receive and retain vertical support 84. Vertical support 84 is similarly shaped like a hollow cylinder. Pad surface 90 includes a hollow cylindrical recess 86 sized similarly to recess 82 so as to receive and retain vertical support 84. Pad surface 90 may be made of, for example, polyethylene, and have any desired shape so as to allow a user to freely move a user interface thereon. An end 96 of pad surface 90 may have a unshaped cross-section designed to conform with an end of arm rest 56.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, arm rests 56 of chair 50 include a cushioned support 56 attached to a metal base 66 through the use of screws (not shown). To attach support 70 to chair 50, a user may remove the screws so as to release cushioned support 56 from base 66. As shown at FIG. 5, base 66 may include screw holes 68 which may be used to retain nuts such as tinnerman nuts. A user may place tinnerman nuts 100 (FIG. 6) into screw holes 68 and replace cushioned support 64 on top of base 66. Thereafter, the user may place horizontal support 72 underneath base 66 so that screw holes 74 line up with screw holes 68. The user may then place screws 102 into screw holes 74 and 68 and into the nuts attaching horizontal support 72 to base 66.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown horizontal support 72 screwed together with arm rest 64. Also shown on seat 58 of chair 50, are pad surface 90, vertical support 84 and a clamping member 94. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a screw 92 is attached to pad surface 90, such as by a pem nut and extends through vertical support 84 when vertical support 84 is placed within recess 86 (FIG. 2) of pad surface 90. To complete installation of user interface support 70, vertical support 84 is placed on top of horizontal support 72 so that vertical support 84 rests in recess 82 (FIG. 2) of horizontal support 72. In this position, screw 92 extends through disc 80 of horizontal support 72. Referring also to FIG. 8, clamp 94, having an internal thread, may then be screwed on to screw 92 thereby clamping pad surface 90 to arm 64. FIG. 9 highlights how end 96 of pad surface 90 conforms with cushion 56.

In this way, if a cordless mouse and keyboard are used, for example, a user is liberated from the confines of his desk and is able to interact with a computer with significantly more freedom and flexibility. As a polyethylene pad support may be used, the user interface support is made of a flexible, scuff resistant material that does not easily damage surrounding furniture when the user's chair moves. The user interface support can also be simply adapted for use with other chairs simply by moving the screw holes and/or changing the length of the horizontal support. The user interface support is implemented with fewer parts that prior art devices and so it is simpler to manufacture and install.

Having described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be noted that the scope of the invention is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto and obvious modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 

1. A combination of a chair and a user interface support, the combination comprising: a chair, the chair comprising a base, a seat attached to the base, and at least one arm rest attached to the base; and a user interface support, the user interface support comprising a horizontal support screwed to the at least one arm rest, a vertical support attached to the horizontal support, and a pad surface attached to the vertical support.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1, wherein: the arm rest includes a cushion support; and the pad surface includes an end conforming with a cross-section of the cushion support.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 1, wherein the pad surface is a mouse pad.
 4. The combination as recited in claim 1, wherein the horizontal support is screwed to the at least one arm rest at two locations.
 5. The combination as recited in claim 1, wherein the pad surface is made of polyethylene.
 6. A method for attaching a support to a chair, the chair comprising a base, a seat attached to the base and at least one arm rest attached to the base, the arm rest including a base screwed to a cushion, the method comprising: unscrewing screws connecting the base of the arm rest to the cushion; screwing a horizontal support of a user interface support to the base of the arm rest; attaching a vertical support of the user interface support to the horizontal support; and attaching a pad surface of the user interface support to the vertical support.
 7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein: the pad surface includes an end conforming with a cress-section of the cushion.
 8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the pad surface is a mouse pad.
 9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the horizontal support is screwed to the base of the arm rest at two locations.
 10. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising: inserting nuts into screws holes of the base of the arm rest; and wherein the screwing includes screwing the horizontal support of the user interface support to the base of the arm rest, to the nuts, and to the cushion.
 11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the attaching the pad surface includes attaching the pad surface to the horizontal support using a screw.
 12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the pad surface is attached to the vertical support using a pem nut.
 13. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the pad surface is made of polyethylene. 